BIG data is big business. Giant companies are amassing our most personal information for their own gain 鈥� while we often give it away for nothing, if not entirely willingly (see 鈥淣et worth: Reclaiming our personal data鈥�).
Not everyone鈥檚 information is free for the taking, though. Restrictions on data-gathering about children has driven many sites to forbid members under the age of 13, although such bans are widely circumvented.
We should be keener to enforce them, because they provide a useful window of opportunity to teach children good habits. A good model might be sex education: instil basic principles of safe behaviour, and strive to increase children鈥檚 awareness of the consequences of hasty action, as they stand on the cusp of the adult world. Safe surfing, like safe sex, is best taught before kids gain too much practical experience.
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